The Ezra Pound Center for Literature:Writing Workshops at Brunnenburg

July 2-28, 2018

We are now accepting applications for Summer 2018!

The program focus includes classroom instruction, a field trip to Venice and special
events, including guest lecturers and poetry readings, as well as volunteer work days
on the castle estate. Auditors interested in attending courses on a non-credit basis
are welcome, as space permits. Transfer credit is possible through the Registrar’s
Office of the University of New Orleans. Participating students can earn three or
six semester credit hours in one or both of the following courses:

The basic cost of the program includes tuition for six credit hours (two classes).
Students may enroll in up to nine credit hours, or one class in each session, for
an additional fee. When completing your online application, please select your first
and second choice in each relevant section, keeping in mind that you cannot enroll
in two classes that meet at the same time.

All for-credit students will receive a transcript for their participation. This official
transcript can be sent to the appropriate home institution at the participant's request,
after a final assessment and payment of room damages and other remaining charges.
If you have any questions about the transcript process, please feel free to contact
the Writing Workshops Abroad office.

Course descriptions

ENGL 4391/5391

The Poetry of Ezra Pound

The Course

This course is a seminar on the poetry of Ezra Pound. Although we will read some excerpts
from Pound’s extensive prose writings, including “A Retrospect,” “Vorticism,” “The
Chinese Written Character as a Medium for Poetry,” ABC of Reading, from his Rome radio broadcasts, and from his letters, we will concentrate primarily
on his poetry, since our objective is to become as familiar with his creative work
as possible and to reflect on its bearing. For the first week’s seminars, we will
read and discuss Pound’s shorter poems from Personae, as well as his sequence Hugh Selwyn Mauberley, while for the latter two weeks we will concentrate on his epic, The Cantos. In Venice, we will also read from his earliest poems.

Requirements

Readings: Completion of all reading assignments by the start of class.

Class Presentation: For this course, each participant, regardless of status (credit or audit) will be
asked to prepare and deliver at least one oral presentation of a poem (or Canto) to
the class. This assignment asks that you do some basic research in the Brunnenburg
library before class on a work of your choice, in consultation with the instructor.
You will read the poetry aloud, present it by discussing its form, content and theme(s),
and facilitate class discussion.

Final Exam: To receive full course credit, you will need to take a two-hour final exam on site.

Term Paper: To receive full course credit, you will need to meet with me, propose a term paper
topic, conduct research on site, and complete an essay of 12-15 pp. (graduate students)
or 8-10 pp. (undergraduate students), with an option (if approved) to send to me your
completed paper by mid August.

ENGL 4163/6173Advanced Poetry Writing

The Course

This is an advanced workshop in the writing, reading, analysis, criticism, and revision
of poetry. Although some time will be spent on principles and the process of composing
and interpreting of poetry, as well as writing exercises, based on reading assignments,
primarily the class will focus on students’ poetry – its composition, vision and revision,
craft, and artistry. Students will submit their own poems to class for analysis, criticism
and discussion, as well as prepare written critiques of others’ works.

Requirements

3-5 Poems for class discussions: Each student will be asked to bring to Italy 12-15 photocopies each of 3-5 of her
or his own poems, to be distributed to the class in a timely way to be prepared for
class discussion. (My hope is to consider at least 3 original poems by each participant
in class.)

Critiques for class: In addition to composing and/or revising her or his own poetry for class, each student
will also be expected to prepare written comments on others’ poems for each class
meeting.

Class Presentations (2): Each participant, regardless of status (credit/audit), will be asked twice to “present” another participant’s poem in a 5-8-minute oral presentation, as assigned
by the instructor.

Final exam: To receive full course credit, you will need to complete the Take-Home final exam
(an analysis of a poem from the assigned texts), as approved by the instructor

Final Manuscript: To receive full course credit, you will also need to complete a10-13 –page manuscript
of poetry including a “preface” (undergraduates, 8-10-pages, without a preface), due
the final day on site, with an option (if approved) to send the completed manuscript
to me by mid August.

ENGL 4391 or FTA 3090Directed Study/Internship

Admission by permission of Academic Director and advising professor. Qualifying undergraduate
students may take 3 hours of Directed Study in the genre of their choice. Counts toward
nine-credit summer course limit.

ENGL 6397 or FTA 6090Directed Study/Internship

Admission by permission of Academic Director and advising professor. Qualifying graduate
students may take 3 hours of Directed Study in the genre of their choice. Counts toward
nine-credit summer course limit.